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The present invention relates to interactively controlling multiple parameters affecting an audio output.
It is known to mix sound input signals into sound output signals using a sound mixing board which includes separate manually activated controls for each sound input signal. The sound input signals may include signals from a plurality of musical instruments and voices as well as sound effects. The controls may include pan (i.e., position) and gain (i.e., amplitude) controls. The sound output signals may be provided to speakers or any recording device.
Sound input signals are mixed to control the position of the signal relative to a listener as well as to control the relative level of an input signal with respect to other input signals. The position of an input signal is controlled by adjusting the amount of the input signal which is provided to each output channel. E.g., for a stereo mix environment (i.e., an environment which includes a left output channel and a right output channel) an input signal which is located directly to the right of the listener is provided to the right output channel while the left output channel is attenuated. The relative level/position of the input signal is controlled by adjusting the amplitude of the input signal which is provided to each output channel.
It is also known to mix sound input signals using a computer system which imitates the controls of a sound mixing board. In such a computer system, the controls are displayed on the screen of the computer as they might appear on the mixing board. Steinberg/Jones, Northridge, Calif. produces such a computer system under the trade designation MIMIX.
It is also known to use external processors such as compressors, limiters, equalizers, reverb units, delay units, to achieve certain effects, e.g., in synthesizing sound or in editing of audio and audiovisual works.